You have no doubt heard someone talking about CrossFit in recent months or years. Either that person does it themselves or someone close to them does. It’s become a phenomenon that is taking over the fitness world… but what exactly is CrossFit and is it here to stay?

But first… let’s understand what this new exercise system is.

What Is CrossFit?

CrossFit is an exercise programme that combines many different principles, styles, equipment and actions. It is based on data and how each individual can improve on their personal best by following a certain regimen. It combines certain movements using equipment or body weight done at a very high intensity and on a timer. Gymnastics, running, boxing, weightlifting and other sports make an appearance in any given CrossFit class and it appeals to a wide range of different people from different spheres of life.

What Makes CrossFit Stand Out?

Community
CrossFit communities are quite close and they encourage one another. It creates a space for teamwork to take centre stage and brings people closer together while improving their health, fitness and wellness. This makes it a lot more enjoyable than simply going to the gym and completing a circuit on your own.

Variety
There is also a lot of variety for each and every person and class. Exercises are not repeated more than once a week, which keeps things a little more exciting for avid supporters. The equipment used is also varied with every class, making things less tedious and quite exciting. Things like kettle-bells, weights, ropes, pull-up bars, sandbags, plyometric boxes and workout mats are typical equipment used all the time. Learning how to use it might seem daunting at first, but with the right instruction and technique, it soon becomes something really cool that you’ve added to your repertoire.

Camaraderie
Each class is called a WOD or “workout of the day”. The gym that you work out in is called a “box”, which lends itself to learning a whole new lingo that is only associated with your crew of CrossFit aficionados. This makes people feel like they belong to something special, and it sounds like it does contribute to creating a special tight-knit group.

Conclusion

With more and more CrossFit gyms (or boxes, should we say) popping up all over South Africa, it definitely seems like this trend is here to stay. It’s encouraging people to work out, even those who have never enjoyed exercise in their lives before. People are also seeing proper results from their efforts, which is largely due to the motivation and teaching methodology. If it’s working for so many people, it’s definitely going to be around for a long time to come and we think that’s a good thing.